The future has to start somewhere….
OK
So here’s the situation: You have newspapers, magazines and TV stations that need more and more content as the web and iPhones continue to consume stuff all the time. At the same time, you have lower and lower revenues and consequently less and less to spend on creating that content. What do you do?
The answer is, you outsource.
But not to India
Instead, you outsource to the massive army of digital content providers who have been trained or are training themselves to fit that very need.
Makes sense.
(unless you used to be a full time journalist for a newspaper or a magazine or a TV network, in which case the solution seems pretty terrible).
Well, terrible or not, this is probably what is going to happen, and a big step in that direction was taken yesterday when USA Today announced that they were contracting with Demand Media to supply content for Travel Section.
Here is how the LA Times reported it today:
The arrangement calls for Demand Media to create and maintain a new travel section for USA Today’s website called Travel Tips. The section, which debuted Wednesday, is populated by thousands of how-to articles created by Demand’s editors and freelancers.
The LA Times also reported that the ‘journalists’ who work for Demand Media are paid (ready for this one?) an average of $15 an article, or $20 for each video. Let me repeat those rates again, but this time in bold:
an average of $15 an article, or $20 for each video
Did you get that?
Now, I went over to Demand Media’s website, and I was not able to find any examples of the kind of video that you get for $20. I did, however (as they provide both print and video) get a sense of what kind of writing you get for $15 an article. All I had to do was read (or try to read) the copy on their website.
For example, when I clicked on the one that said, “Learn More” about how ‘Demand Studios makes it possible for qualified writers, editors and filmmakers to create valuable content, reach an audience of millions, and make money’, I got this:
Demand Studios helps digital brands profitably attract, engage and grow their audiences. Starting with proprietary technology to develop high value titles in designated topic areas, Demand Studios commissions vetted content assignments for our network of professional creators, who then put their passion, experience and skills into producing each assignment. This process is accelerated through a variety of online management tools and is overseen by a world class editorial team, resulting in content of the highest quality—efficiently produced and value optimized.
Proprietary technology to develop high value titles in designated topic areas?
Resulting in content of the highest quality – efficiently produced and value optimized?
Value optimized?
What the hell does that mean?
Incomprehensible corporate gobbledygook.
In other words, really bad writing.
Then I clicked on one of their videos on Livestrong, one of their “products” or was it a “brand”?
(I can’t tell the difference. Can you?)
In any event, the video was as terrible as the writing:
You can’t embed it, so I will give you the link:Â http://www.livestrong.com/video/1613-train-marathon/
This, in the video world, is what we call, ‘Unwatchable Crap”
(see how clear and direct my writing is. I don’t refer to this video as ‘value optimized’. I refer to it as ‘garbage’.
Well, there you have it.
The future of USA Today.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s something interesting going on here. At The Travel Channel Academy, we graduated nearly 2,000 people trained to collect and produce travel stories. We’re very big on storytelling. Compelling storytelling.
Probably USA Today would be far better served making a connection with TCA. And they would get a far far far better product.
But not at $20 a video.
The world may have changed, but one thing remains the same: You get what you pay for.
11 Comments
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pencilgod April 11, 2010
I sell short stories to childrens magazines for $3 a word.
That is a growth market right now.
Demand Studios Writer April 11, 2010
I was one of the Demand writers for USA Today and I want to clarify some points. Please note that I am not defending Demand, but there are some incorrect facts here.
Writers picked for the USA Today project needed to be with Demand for awhile, writing travel articles for their other sites. We needed to produce resumes and travel writing samples. I don’t think the background of the writers is an issue. Everyone I know doing these stories is well published;
The pay for the USA Today stories is $20@, not $15. The same as Demand pays for Livestrong articles and LESS than it pays experienced writers for EHow.
After the first month of the project, almost every writer dropped out because these articles had stringent requirements in references and writing. By the time you were done completing what was necessary, the articles took from 1-4 hours, while another $20 article for Demand Studios could be done in 20 minutes.
They did have us fill out a survey in which we all stated that it wasn’t financially viable to continue, but they did not change the rates. Unfortunately, since it was announced that USA Today is the client, many writers have gone back to doing stories for pennies and many other writers have been begging to do them just to get the byline.
I have not gone back to writing them and will not for $20. I will continue to pay my bills with other Demand articles that I can earn $30-40 an hour with. Not the $1 a word magazines pay, but there’s not much of that work left out there.
pencilgod April 09, 2010
Maybe it will get worse at the extreme lower end in the short term but I just can’t see how it can’t get better over all in the long run. 🙂
pencilgod April 09, 2010
Can you really not see the irony here Michael? You are the guy who said:
“Every one understands the language of video”
“A nine year old can do this”
“Free press is messy”
You complaining about low quality video is a bit like the neighborhood dope dealer complaining about the arrival of a Meth lab in the street 🙂
Michael Rosenblum April 09, 2010
Steph,…
I didn’t invent the trend, I have only been riding it.
I am not so happy with where it is going, but this seems to be where it is going, and there is no stopping it.
This is not a decision based on anything more than the inevitable result of a convergence of technologies.
And I think it’s going to get much worse. Just my opinion, but that’s where I would place my bets.
kenny April 09, 2010
WTF is up with the LIVESTRONG folks putting out this crap to begin with? They’re a well respected international organization. I would be embarrassed to have my name associated with that. Seriously? TWO huge corporations with bunches of people certainly previewing this stuff and this ultra low quality still makes it through? Eeek!
EricB April 08, 2010
Interesting. Big. Huge corporate media – hinging their future success on this outsourcing. Content, Craft, Creativity, Commitment. Those are the values… and unless viewers find value in these areas, USA Today will not gain viewers in the competitive world of internet videos.
Poor quality will be left in the dust. Average quality will get lost in the shuffle. High quality in these areas – Four Cs – will stand out and get return viewers. I think.
I will need to check out Demand Media.
SHerriH April 08, 2010
USAToday, shame on you. You’re undermining our whole industry and devaluing what we do.
Vanessa April 08, 2010
Sad, just very very sad. Good that people are realizing how great the video revolution is….but sad how they utilize this amazing technological advancement.